Formation of the Street
Akademika Bohomoltsia Street in Lviv developed within the so-called villa district in the Novyi Svit (New World) area, which saw intensive construction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Previously, this area belonged to the suburban settlement of Novyi Svit, which began to develop in the second half of the 19th century as Lviv expanded beyond its historic center.
Initially, the street was named Ferdynand Street (in honor of Emperor Ferdinand I), and during the interwar period, it was called Stefan Batory Street. After World War II, it was renamed in honor of Academician Oleksandr Bohomolets, a prominent Ukrainian pathophysiologist and president of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR.
Bohomoltsia Street was planned as part of an elite residential area, intended for members of the intelligentsia, professors, wealthy entrepreneurs, and civil servants. The street is dominated by villa-style buildings in the styles of Art Nouveau, historicism, and early functionalism.
The street follows the natural terrain, stretching from east to west with a gentle curve that gives it a cozy, intimate character. Spatially, it connects modern Chuprynky, Konovaltsia, and Kotliarevskoho Streets, forming an important internal neighborhood link.
Today, the street retains its historic atmosphere and holds protected status as part of Lviv’s architectural heritage.
Architects and Styles
This three-story residential building was constructed in 1906 according to the design by architect Ivan Levynskyi for Henryk Gottlieb Haszlakiewicz. It is a rental house built in the ornamental Secession (Art Nouveau) style, with elements of Neo-Romanesque and Neo-Gothic architecture. It is listed as an architectural monument (Protection No. М-7).
In the early 20th century, its residents included Yevhen Olesnytskyi, deputy of the Galician Sejm to the Austrian Parliament, and Adam Krechowiecki, editor of the Gazeta Lwówska. Architects Adam Opolski and Ignacy Kędzierski also had their office in this building.
Who Owned It?
The parcel on which the building stands was purchased by entrepreneur Henryk Gottlieb Haszlakiewicz. The design was prepared by Ivan Levynskyi’s architectural bureau in 1905 (State Archive of Lviv Oblast [DALO] 2/1/127:53). Construction was completed the following year, and in October 1906, permission was granted for occupancy.
The building’s construction led to a conflict: neighboring property owners on Pekarska Street complained that it blocked sunlight to their residences. Dr. Ignacy Lickendorf, owner of No. 4, claimed the new construction caused cracks in the walls of his annex. However, the complaints did not change anything, as no violations of building regulations were found (DALO 2/1/127: 54–55).
In 1907, at the request of Maria Pogoretska (née Krechowiecka), the building received a new conscription number: No. 926 4/4.
What Does the Building Look Like?
The building is located on a corner of the square on Bohomoltsia Street. It is a former rental townhouse, typical of the early 20th century. Built using modern materials and techniques of the time, it was immediately connected to water supply, sewerage, and electricity networks.
The building has an unusual floor plan, shaped by the complexity of the plot. Its decorative design is uncommon for Lviv, combining ornamental Secession, Neo-Romanesque, and Neo-Gothic elements.
The house is three stories tall, with a basement. It is brick masonry, plastered. Like others on the street, it likely has Klein vaulting in the basement and metal I-beam inter-floor structures, with wooden attic beams. The roof is wooden-framed, with tin covering (originally tiled).
Interesting Facts
In the 1910s, residents included:
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Yevhen Olesnytskyi, deputy to the Austrian Parliament;
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Adam Krechowiecki, editor of Gazeta Lwówska;
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Architect Adam Opolski, who had an office here with Ignacy Kędzierski.
At one point, the building housed a Fröbelian girls’ school (based on the pedagogical system of Friedrich Fröbel), directed by Amalia d’Endel.
In the early 1920s, the owner was Jakub Pozament, a well-known Lviv public figure. From at least 1924 to 1939, the owners were Uszer and Debora Kandel (DALO 2/1/127: 3, 10, 33).
A five-room apartment on the third floor was rented by Henryka Haszlakiewicz, who sublet it to numerous tenants over the years. As a result, the flooring was damaged, some interior and entry doors were broken, and the balconies facing the courtyard were in disrepair. This caused a dispute between the Kandels and Haszlakiewicz, as the Kandels refused to cover the repair costs required by the city magistrate (DALO 2/1/127: 16–18, 22–23).
What’s There Now?
Today, the building is used as residential housing.
Sources
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State Archive of Lviv Oblast (DALO) 2/1/127: 3, 10, 16–18, 22–23, 33, 53–55.
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Almanach Żydowski by Herman Stachl (Lwów, 1937).
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Address Book of the Royal Capital City of Lwów, 1914 (Księga adresowa królewskiego stołecznego miasta Lwowa, 1914).
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Jakub Lewicki, Between Tradition and Modernity: Architecture of Lviv in the Years 1893–1918 (Warsaw: Society for the Protection of Monuments, Neriton Publishing House, 2005), p. 258.
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Lviv. An Illustrated Guide (Lwów. Ilustrowany przewodnik) (Lviv: Center of Europe; Wrocław: Via Nowa, 2001), p. 223.